KMVK

KMVK


Logos for KMVK's primary and secondary channels
City of license Fort Worth, Texas
Broadcast area Dallas/Fort Worth
Branding La Grande 107.5
Frequency 107.5 MHz (also on HD Radio)
107.5 HD-2 for "The Oasis" (Smooth Jazz)
First air date 1965 (as KNOK)
Format Regional Mexican
Language(s) Spanish
ERP 16,500 watts
HAAT 574.2 meters
Class C1
Facility ID 23440
Transmitter coordinates 32°35′02″N 96°57′48″W / 32.58389°N 96.96333°WCoordinates: 32°35′02″N 96°57′48″W / 32.58389°N 96.96333°W
Callsign meaning "MOViN" (previous format)
Former callsigns KNOK (1965-1985)
KDLZ (1985-1988)
KMEZ (1988-1991)
KCDU (1991-1992)
KOAI (1992-2006)
Owner CBS Radio
(CBS Radio Texas, Inc.)
Sister stations KJKK, KLUV, KRLD, KRLD-FM, KVIL
also part of CBS Corp. cluster: TV stations KTVT and KTXA
Webcast Listen Live
Website lagrande1075.com

KMVK (107.5 FM, "La Grande 107.5"), is a Spanish Regional Mexican-formatted station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas. The station is owned and operated by CBS Radio. The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas and the transmitter site is in Cedar Hill.

History

KNOK/KDLZ

107.5 would sign on in 1965 as KNOK, an R&B and Soul station. It was a simulcast of its then-sister station KNOK-AM 970 (now KHVN), owned by Chatham Corporation. In 1985, the station became KDLZ while retaining its R&B format. The signal was increased and studios were moved to Cedar Hill after their original studios in Fort Worth were destroyed by fire.

EZ 107.5/The Oasis

Smooth Jazz 107.5 The Oasis ident used from 1992 to 2003.

In 1988, Summit Broadcasting Group would purchase KDLZ and move their former Easy listening format as KMEZ to KDLZ. The station would be sold to Granum Communications in 1991, who would flip the station and format to KCDU as "CD 107.5" with a short-lived classic rock format. The Smooth Jazz format began in 1992 (which had originally broadcast on the 106.1 frequency) with the new call letters KOAI as "The Oasis" (prior to the format change, the KMEZ call letters were reassigned to a New Orleans, Louisiana station and carries an Urban Adult Contemporary format). In 1996, KOAI was one of 3 radio stations that fell victim to the radio tower collapse in Cedar Hill on October 12 of that year. KOAI, as well as sister stations KRBV (now KJKK) and KYNG (now KRLD-FM), scrambled to get their stations back on the air through an auxiliary tower. "The Oasis"' ratings seemed to escape unscathed in the Fall book that year, but the fate was otherwise at the other 2 stations.[1] During its 14-year tenure, it has enjoyed a loyal following. But on October 2, 2006 at 5 pm, KOAI jettisoned the smooth jazz programming and changed its format to Rhythmic Adult Contemporary as "Movin' 107.5." [2] The Oasis continues on 107.5 "HD-2" as a digital only station.

MOViN/Mega era

Movin 107.5 logo used 2006-2009.

Much of "The Oasis" programming continues to be broadcast on the station's "HD-2" (KMVK's digital channel 2), and online. The station's logo and branding as was identical to MOViN radio station KVMX (now KXJM) in Portland, Oregon (then owned by CBS Radio, but is now owned by Clear Channel Communications after being sold) until they changed formats to Rhythmic Top 40.

On February 17, 2009, at Noon, after playing "Vogue" by Madonna, the station launched a Spanish Hot adult contemporary format as "Mega 107.5." As of 2010, "Mega 107.5" has shifted to a Spanish rhythmic contemporary playlist (similar to its MOViN predecessor) with a few English-language hits in between.[3] It was competing head-on with KESS-FM (La Kalle 107.9) for over 2 years, until that station's owner, Univision Radio, switched it to a simulcast of KDXX, leaving KMVK the only Latin Pop-formatted station in the Metroplex for a short time. In late June 2012, it gained another competitor from Univision Radio with KDXX Máxima 99.1.

As of mid-summer 2012, the Dallas-Fort Worth market has three Spanish-language CHR stations and three English-language CHR stations, with one of those targeted English-language stations targeted towards Spanish-speakers - former "La Kalle 107.9" from Univision Radio changed to KESS Radio H2O 107.9 in late June 2012. KTCY Baila 101.7 (previously owned by Liberman, now owned by EMF) was one of its short-term competitors until February 8, 2013, when the station's previous format ceased broadcasting.

KMVK formerly broadcast with 100,000 watts, but applied for a power reduction to 25,000 watts, and later for even less power.

On March 8, 2012, the station's website displayed a message stating "Todo va a cambiar!" [Translation: Everything will change!], hinting a possible format flip in the near future. However the next morning, it was nothing more than a Daylight saving time announcement.[4]

Former "Mega 107.5" logo used 2010-2013.

On May 21, 2012, CBS has hinted a possible format flip on either this station or KRLD-FM to "AMP Radio", much like its Los Angeles sister station KAMP-FM, as the parent company has registered 3 web domains (as AMPRadioDFW.com, AMPRadio1053.com, and 1075AMPRadio.com).[5] This format change was highly unlikely because of the contemporary hit radio format heard on KESS-FM, KHKS & KLIF-FM.

107.5 Today

On July 26, 2013, KMVK did flip formats, though to a Regional Mexican format as "La Grande 107.5",[6] making it the 3rd format flip since 2006. The move also currently leaves the immediate Dallas/Fort Worth area without a Latin Pop-formatted station.

Controversy

Since the radio station change to "Movin 107.5" on October 2, 2006, much emotion and criticism was seen on The Oasis Blog by some loyal listeners of KOAI. Many demanded that the Smooth Jazz format be reinstated. KNTU-FM is the only jazz station in the Metroplex, but not every listener can get KNTU because of the weaker signal. (see KNTU's Coverage Map).

Mega 107.5 ident used 2009-2010.

A similar situation occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Clear Channel flipped its smooth jazz station WJJZ to the Rhythmic AC format and rebranded it as "My 106.1". After many former listeners vented their anger over the change, they finally got some welcome news in October 2006, when Greater Media announced that the WJJZ call letters were revived at a new frequency (97.5 FM), and that some of its airstaff was returning. The announcement came two months after the original WJJZ was removed. WJJZ returned to the Philadelphia airwaves on November 17, 2006, and stayed on the air until September 5, 2008.

There was an attempt at a regular smooth-jazz show on KVIL ("103.7 Lite FM"), hosted by former KOAI disc jockey Tempie Lindsey. However, it has since been canceled.

References

  1. ↑ DFW Radio Archives 1996 (accessed October 17, 2011)
  2. ↑ 'Movin' takes over 'Oasis' at 107.5 (WFAA-TV and The Dallas Morning News)
  3. ↑ KMVK Playlist on Yes.com (accessed September 4, 2010)
  4. ↑ Change at KMVK? - All Access - (Released March 8, 2012)
  5. ↑ Amping Up In Dallas? - Radio Insight (released May 21, 2012)
  6. ↑ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/84343/cbs-flips-mega-107-5-dallas/

External links